Now What?® Coaching

from Laura Berman Fortgang

Laura Berman Fortgang

Now What? Q &A: Your Money or Your Life?

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Today’s question came from a caller from Alabama during a recent Community Call and is answered by: Laura Berman Fortgang.  

Question:

I’m in the process of training for a new field but I’m also concerned about my retirement.  Should I just be thinking of my nest egg instead of changing careers?

Answer:

My father was a first generation American and the first to go to college in his family.  He became an engineer and spent 32 years with the same company, only to be fired 18 months short of retirement.  Over the years it was clear that he hated his work and I begged him to change jobs.  But he felt he had to stay and put the kids through school.  So I understand the issues you’re raising about financial planning.  It’s certainly not about just throwing caution to the wind, yet sometimes you have to put your soul ahead of your wallet.  Who knows how long you’ll be working?  And the truth is we don’t know how long we are going to live, either.  It’s a matter of balance.  You are saying you have 20 years until retirement but maybe you’ll be working even longer, so try out a few things and give yourself some time.  Experiment, moonlight, volunteer, and see if you strike upon a passion while also looking at whether that passion can make you money.  People are being forced to reinvent and that sometimes includes a bit of their past that was previously overlooked up until now.  It may mean taking chances.  Did you see the story we ran about the laid off autoworker who turned professional bowler?  It’s possible to merge the things you naturally enjoy with your livelihood if you remain open to how that might happen.

Now What? Q &A – The Golden Thread in your Life Story

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Today’s question came from a caller from Philadelphia during a recent Community Call and is answered by: Laura Berman Fortgang.  

Question:

I’ve been working in the HR field since graduating college and have been at my current company for eleven years.  Recently a boss whom I considered a toxic influence has moved on and things are a better, more status quo.  I’m trying to figure out a good transition job to see if I can still enjoy HR before deciding if I want to step out of the field entirely.  I’m working with the Now What book but I’m struggling with the Life Story exercise.  I’m stuck in the analysis of it and can’t find what you call the Golden Thread.                                                                                       

Answer:

Your life story is what formed you and there are themes there.  You’re probably working way too hard at analyzing the story and it would be helpful to have someone else look at it.  For instance:

  • What were the things you excelled at in grade school and high school?  
  • What did you get accolades for in your younger years?
  • What were your dreams when you were younger?

In answering Laura’s questions, these are some of the things that were mentioned:  traveling, going to new places and having new experiences, discussing things, and asking questions.

Laura: All the things you’ve mentioned have the theme of discovery in them.  You like exploring and digging for answers like an archaeologist.  This is a “golden thread” for you and one of the overriding themes in your story.  Traveling might be a good way to get back in touch with that part of you and take some time to remember that feeling you are looking for in work – that discovery sense.  Even if it’s not far away travel, it will be good for you.  So this is one of the clues your life story is showing you.  As you consider your options, look at them with the frame of:  Where can I tap into this discovery mode?

Our caller was instantly lit up and encouraged.  She had never noticed the theme in all the things she liked to do.  She saw how that was missing in her work and why she’d grown restless.

WRITE YOUR OWN TICKET FOR JOB SEARCH RESULTS

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by Now What?® Coaching Founder, Laura Berman Fortgang

Here’s a far out idea. If your job search or dream goal is not coming along as you had hoped, write a story about how it could and watch your circumstances change.

“Really? Can that work?”, you might ask.

Yes, it can and let me tell you why. When you write fiction and allow your imagination to take over, you are wiping out linear, logical thinking and tapping into your intuition, also known as your superconscious. (vs. subconscious) When we approach a strategy linearly and it does not work out, we have a hard time tapping into a new, creative approach and tend to get stuck repeating the approach that is not working over and over again.

When we use our imagination, as in writing a fictitious, outrageous story about how our goal can come to be, we are tapping into our intuition, getting away from linear thinking and coming up with new ideas that may work to change our circumstances when put into action. We are also tapping into a greater knowing within ourselves that may not have been obvious to our conscious, linear mind.

For example, Marty is a hard working CFO of a hospital and has been ready for a new job for a long time, but has been stuck and not getting any substantial results from sending out resumes. He has used the bad economy as a reason to drag his feet and not be too aggressive about his search, assuming he should be grateful to have a job and not rock the boat to find another. When he gets a burst of energy about his search, all he can think to do is to send out more resumes.

When asked to write an outrageous, fictitious story about how he lands a new job, Marty struggled at first. That’s not unusual. We are not used to using our imagination or even thinking it’s a worthwhile exercise to stop and write a childish story about getting what we want. Yet, Marty managed to leave his disappointment and disbelief aside for an hour and let his imagination take over.

“I am sitting outside the hospital one day and the CEO’s of several hospitals are walking around during a break from some sort of conference. Two of them come over to me at different times and tell me they have heard of me and wondered what it would take to get me on their team. We have meetings in the next couple of weeks and they have a bidding war to get me. I have my choice and go with the highest bidder securing a contract that with bonuses that could create great security for my future. Within a month from that day on the bench, I am in a new job and very happy.”

Marty’s story seems far-fetched. That’s GREAT! That’s the point. Now, will his story come to be just because he wrote it that way? Likely not, but we have seen stranger things happen in our Now What?® career transition coaching work. However, where the gold is here is to then interpret what your intuition may be trying to tell you as it snuck into your story. What parts of the story are actionable? What hints can you glean from it?

Marty saw that he was not networking at all and that he had to be out to industry events and shaking hands again like he did in the beginning of his career. He took that message from his intuition to heart and created a linear plan of action for being in touch with more industry people. This was his ticket to a new job. Within six months of active networking, he was getting responses to his resumes and interviewing with hospitals that he would be happy to work for. In eight months, he had a new job.

No matter what you may be stuck about, career or not, use fiction-writing as a way to see your situation differently and be released from the ‘no -results-zone’ and ushered into the ‘opportunities-come-my-way-zone’.

It really is all in your mind and how you see things……..I want you to see what I see……POSSIBILITIES. You really can write your own ticket.

Based on Chapter 9 of “Now What? 90 Days to a New Life Direction”, “Life Often Does Imitate Art; Write Your Own Fiction”. More on this topic in Laura’s upcoming “The Prosperity Plan” (January 2011)

Now What? Q &A: Laid off, where to go from here?

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Today’s question comes from a member of our community in New Jersey who participated in a recent Community Call, and is answered by:Laura Berman Fortgang.  

Question:

Hi, Laura.  Like you, I’m an alumna of Montclair State University.  I was the first one in my family to go to college and after I graduated, I realized I had no professional models to look to.  Rather than work with children, which was my interest at the time, I became a secretary because I was able to make more money.  But now, I got laid off and I’m wondering where to go from here.  At this point in my career, I enjoy working with adults.  I have a 21-year old daughter and I’m not sure whether to go back to school or look for work elsewhere.  What do you think?

Answer:

I want to acknowledge you for the paths you pioneered in your family and  for modeling to your daughter what’s important in the world.  Of course security is important to you, but being laid off is an opportunity to change.  Just like the stock market corrects itself if it goes too far one way or the other, a lot of people now are getting to correct course as well.  If doors are not opening in secretarial jobs, for instance, maybe it’s now time to get to do what you want to do, after having done what you had to do.  I can hear in your voice that you’re a poised person and that you have a good personality and an honest work ethic, so remember to build on these things.  This may mean meeting people in person, networking, and talking to people you already know vs. just sending out resumes. 

See what other opportunities might be available and launch a multi-faceted work campaign.  Sending our resumes is not enough.  Paper doesn’t work as well as meeting people does.  When you get out there and meet people, you’ll be able to make your own opportunities.  For example, you mentioned that you work as a volunteer to teach English as a second language.  Do they need a program coordinator or other person on their staff?  Think creatively.   Every industry has people they need in support roles.  See what you might find just by being more aggressive.  Allow yourself to dabble, to try some things.  You’re going to have to get outside your comfort zone and when you do, just remember that discomfort = growth.  Go out and shake some hands.

                                                                       

Now What? Q &A: Resume when changing fields

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Intro:

Today’s question came from a caller from Alabama during a recent Community Call and is answered by: Laura Berman Fortgang.  

Question:

For a person who is totally changing fields and going to school for the new field, how do you recommend changing your resume so you can begin working in your new career even though you don’t have experience yet?  For example, I’m going to school for computer networking but have done different work up to now.

Answer:

Resumes are indeed an art and while you certainly do not want to lie, it is perfectly fine to play up different areas even though it may be a bit of a stretch.  So, in your case, you might look back over your work history and note where you did anything with computers at various jobs you’ve held.  You can emphasize your past experience in a different way.  For example, say you worked in retail but used the computer for inventory days and were in charge of maintaining weekly reports on-line.  Since it wasn’t the primary responsibility of your job, you might not immediately think to mention it, however now that you want to highlight your computer expertise, you could also mention that you were in charge of electronic data collection.  It’s important to remain truthful and the point is to direct the person reading your resume to what you want to do now.  We know of one individual who obtained a job that was triple his former pay after sprucing up his resume and re-finessing his job title from Librarian to Information Management Specialist. 

As you update your resume, make sure it demonstrates the level of professionalism that has followed you throughout your career.  Also, anything you can do in your new field right now while you’re studying —even if it’s non-paid— will show experience.

MONEY & CAREER-CHANGE: Will You Let It Stop You?

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by Laura Berman Fortgang

The number one reason that people do not follow their heart when it comes to the work they would most love to do is money.  There are mortgages and educations to pay for and practical wins out over ideal most of the time.  What if that conventional wisdom was false? What if the pull of what you really wanted to do was so strong, that the force of your desire creates a vacuum that brings money into the fold as well?

What most people forget is that doing something new may very well mean a financial set back, but it does not have be permanent. You will grow and advance in the new thing.  Money will grow.

 I can think of two clients in particular who despite gaining sharp clarity about what was next for them professionally, did not move in their new directions because of money concerns.  I’ll have you know that within a handful of years, each of them were in the profession they had yearned for and money was working out just fine.  Their ‘sure thing’ had become less sure and suddenly, they had nothing to lose by following their ideal, heart-based professional path.

One of these folks was a man who despite having a fledgling headhunter business, chose not to move into teaching.  Today, he is a happy, popular teacher with a Facebook Fan Page created by his students.  The other was a woman who had a strong philanthropic bent but worked in banking.  One meant little money and one meant plenty. She eventually found her way to the non-profit world and is happy and satisfied, making it work financially.

Sometimes, it takes having no other choice to really follow what you are meant to be doing, but life would be easier if we made the choice while it was still a CHOICE.  The money does work itself out.  A spouse might start doing better or you ‘luck’ into a break in your housing costs through refinance or an inheritance or perhaps you change locations and the money and lifestyle come together in a harmonious blend. 

The hard truth is that there is no certainty.  You may think you are choosing the ‘safe’ way by staying put, but for how long will it stay safe?

Stepping out into the abyss of the unknown in the name of what feels right even if you are also fearful, allows the floor to come up to meet you.

It can’t always be terra firma that you leap to. 

Can you change the way you think about money to allow your new direction to come to be?  Think about that. Write about that.  See what new possibilities emerge.

LOOK for more on this topic in Laura’s upcoming book “The Prosperity Plan” (January 2011) or check out Chapter Eight of “Now What? 90 Days to a New Life Direction” (Tarcher-Penguin) Available on Amazon.